1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to washing machines and to accumulator devices therefor. More particularly but not exclusively, the invention relates to washing machines for the towels used in continuous feed towel cabinets.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,526,106 describes a complete machine for laundering the towels used in continuous feed towel cabinets. In the last part of this machine the towel is fed from the drying rolls to a rewind mandrel via an accumulator device. This accumulator device comprises a carriage carrying rollers over which the towel is threaded, the carriage being capable of movement to lengthen the path taken by the towel each time that the rewind mandrel is stopped to remove a roll of towel. The device thereby stores the towel delivered by the drying rolls until the rewind mandrel is restarted. The operational speed of the rewind mandrel is faster than the running speed of the apparatus whereupon the period of time which is lost during completion of the winding of one roll and the start of the winding of the next roll is regained during the winding of that next roll. Moreover, the rewind mandrel is driven by a constant torque motor and thus a slipping clutch is provided to allow for the continuously increasing radius of the roll being wound.
A further aspect of the wind-up operation of the laundering machine described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,526,106 is that it includes means to counteract any misalignment or wandering of the towel being wound which would result in the edges of the wound roll being irregular. Such means are fully described in British patent specification No. 1,136,454 and are operable satisfactorily at a take-up speed which is less than 400 feet/minute.